Colloidal gas aphrons: potential applications in biotechnology

Colloidal gas aphrons are microbubbles encapsulated by surfactant multilaye rs. They provide a large interfacial area to adsorb charged and/or hydropho bic molecules; the extent and mechanism of the adsorption depends on the su rfactant multilayer. The physical properties of colloidal gas aphrons have recently been characterized for a range of surfactants in order to find the best systems for particular applications. A range of exciting biotechnolog y applications has been identified, including the recovery of cells, protei ns and other biological molecules, and the enhancement of gas transfer in b ioreactors and bioremediation.